Hello Beauxbatons!
by My Clone
Summary: Hogwarts students go on an Overseas Exchange Trip to Beauxbatons. Who goes and what happens?
1. Announcement and signing up

**Title: Hello Beauxbatons!**

**Summary: Hogwarts students go on an Overseas Exchange Trip to Beauxbatons. Who goes and what happens?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter **

"What do you think she wants to talk to us about?" Katherine McLenon asked aloud, aiming the question at her two best friends, Lily Evans and Alice Henderson. "She sounded so serious when she said she wanted to talk to us about something at seven this evening in our common room."

"Kathy, McGonagall always sounds serious about _everything_," Alice perked up, from Lily's right. "She was serious even when Black told that joke about the otter that had everyone in fits."

Lily, between Kathy and Alice, chuckled. "Yeah, that was funny. Maybe she wants to tell us about the NEWTs. Must be, since she wants only the sixth years."

"That's it? I had my hopes up that she might announce something more exciting!" Kathy groaned.

"Well, we don't know yet anyway," Alice said, seating herself at their house table, with Lily on her left and Kathy on Lily's left.

Alice, her mouth full, suddenly tapped Lily's shoulder, signaling towards something (or rather someone) a few seats away. Anticipating what she was about to see, Lily turned to her right only to see James Potter, the boy she despised, staring unabashedly at her without even batting an eyelid. Feeling the anger rise up her body, she glared at him.

However, he didn't seem to be aware of anything around. Very annoyed at his behaviour, Lily slammed her fork on the table, got up from her seat, and marched away from the Great Hall, leaving Kathy and Alice surprised, their forks hovering in mid air. She could just hear James ask Sirius, "What happened? How come she left?"

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All the sixth years were gathered in the common room at seven (Lily, with Kathy and Alice, had seated herself as far away from the Marauders as possible), awaiting the arrival of Professor McGonagall. Some were speculating about what she might want to say, while some were engaged in their own discussions.

"James, will you stop staring at Evans?" Sirius asked, agitated that James wasn't paying him any attention.

"I agree with Sirius, James. You should really stop it," Remus supported Sirius. "Have you seen the way she reacts? No offence mate, but that is no indication that she likes you the tiniest bit."

"I know, I know, but I can't seem to stop my eyes from getting-"

Professor McGonagall had just entered the room, causing most of them to fall silent.

"Good evening to all of you," McGonagall said, announcing her presence to the few students who hadn't noticed that she was there.

"Good evening to you too, Minnie," whispered Sirius cheekily, causing James to shake silently with laughter in an attempt to stop the laughter from escaping his mouth. Remus wore an amused grin while Peter was looking from Sirius to James to Remus, wondering what was so funny.

McGonagall, not taking notice of this, continued, "I have asked all of you to gather so that I can tell you about an upcoming Overseas Exchange Trip to Beauxbatons." Several people gasped; they hadn't been given such an opportunity before, and it did sound appealing.

"Of course, this is not compulsory. Those who wish to sign up can do so on the list that will be pinned up next to the portrait of the Fat Lady tomorrow. This trip will last six days, starting on the first day of the summer holidays. The students of Beauxbatons will still be having lessons. Only ten students, five girls and five boys will be given this opportunity on a first-come-first-served basis. Other information will be on the list. Any questions?"

"Will there be hot girls?" Sirius piped up from the back, causing some of the boys to jerk their heads up to give Professor McGonagall their fullest attention. The girls in Sirius' fan club looked on jealously while the rest of the students laughed.

"That is all," McGonagall said curtly, before exiting.

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"What do you think of this Overseas Exchange Trip?" Kathy questioned.

"I think we should sign up!" squealed Alice, jumping up and down excitedly. "It sounds exciting!"

"Me too!" screamed Kathy, slapping her palms with Alice's and jumping up and down with her.

"I don't," interrupted Lily, which caused Alice and Kathy to stop jumping immediately, their faces bearing a confused expression, and eyes focused on Lily.

"What do you mean?" asked Alice.

Lily explained patiently, "I mean, the NEWTs are coming up and it would be better to use the time to study hard for them."

"But it's only for six days and we can have the rest of the holidays to study," Kathy protested.

"We'll need all the time we have," Lily continued with her argument.

They went on like that until they got ready for classes (although it was only 7.30 am) and went to the common room which was empty and out of the portrait hole.

"Hey, look! The list!" exclaimed Alice.

"And no one has signed up yet!" said Kathy.

"We're not signing up!" Lily said exasperatedly, as she continued walking to the Great Hall for breakfast, oblivious to Alice and Kathy whispering excitedly behind her back and finally scribbling something on the list, before hurrying after Lily.

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"And then we'll slip some dungbombs into the Slytherin common room!" Sirius finished, grinning mischievously, no doubt planning another of the famous Marauder pranks. He looked at James and Remus expectantly, but they didn't seem to be impressed in the very least.

"Well, I don't know Sirius…" Remus trailed off. "It doesn't exactly seem very foolproof."

"It is!" exclaimed Sirius, turning to James. "Don't you think so, James?"

However, James was not paying any attention to Sirius any more. Instead, he was looking intently at the list next to the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Lily's signing up for it!" he said excitedly, as he grabbed a quill to write his name underneath the few names there.

"What are you doing, James?" Remus almost screamed as James wrote 'Remus Lupin' too. "We have to take the NEWTs next year!"

"Whatever, Remus! We all know those six days won't make any difference. Besides, Lily's name is here!" James replied, ignoring Remus' protests, and now writing 'Remus Lupin' beneath it.

"You know what, James? For once, I agree with Remus," Sirius said thoughtfully. "How can I go without knowing if there will be hot girls there or not?"

James rolled his eyes, spinning a lie about a really hot girl at Beauxbatons that he knew and promised to introduce him to this imaginary girl. This seemed to have convinced Sirius, and James hurriedly wrote 'Peter Pettigrew' under Sirius' name and the Marauders proceeded to the Great Hall, continuing their discussion about the prank they were going to pull.

**Author's Note: How did you think it was? Should I continue with it? I think I shouldn't put up the next chapter until I get 10 reviews, so I'll know whether you are interested in the story. So please review!**


	2. Landing at Beauxbatons

**Title: Hello Beauxbatons!**

**Summary: Hogwarts students go on an Overseas Exchange Trip to Beauxbatons. Who goes and what happens?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Author's Note: I decided to post the next chapter though I didn't get the number of reviews I asked for (Humph!) because I know there are at least a few people who want to read. **

Lily slumped back exasperatedly onto her chair. She just couldn't seem to successfully transfigure her eyebrows into colourful ones. She looked around her to see most people sporting blue, red, yellow, green, purple and other coloured eyebrows. Some, like James Potter and Sirius Black, had even managed to transfigure their eyebrows into rainbow-coloured eyebrows and were strutting around the classroom displaying them to the rest of the class. Of course, Remus had also managed to do so, but was sitting at his seat, unlike the other two.

She sighed and got up to try again, when Professor McGonagall stopped any further activity in the class. "That's all for today. Those of you who have not managed to perform the spell properly-" at this her gaze rested upon Lily, who inwardly groaned, and a few others. "- I expect you to be able to do it."

Some of the students started to scramble out of their seats and stuff their Transfiguration textbooks into their bags, but Professor McGonagall looked like she had more to say.

"I have taken down the list of students who signed up for the Overseas Exchange Trip to Beauxbatons. Quite a number of you signed up for it so I had to choose the first five girls and the first five boys to go for it. I'll read out the names so that you are aware of who is going and who is not. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Frank Longbottom, Katherine McLenon, Alice Henderson, Lucy Patterson, Annabelle Grundy and Lily Evans."

"Huh?" Lily whispered, confused. _She hadn't signed up for it_. Raising her hand, she said, "Professor" to grab McGonagall's attention. McGonagall turned to focus her gaze on Lily questioningly, to which Lily started politely, "Professor, I think there's been a mistake-"

Kathy grabbed Lily's hand, which was still in the air and pressed it down onto the table. Alice, meanwhile, spoke, "Um, professor, it's nothing."

Lily was looking from Alice to Kathy for some kind of explanation. "We signed you up," they muttered in a low voice to her.

Lily, looking furious, was just opening her mouth to respond, when McGonagall cut her. "That's all. You are dismissed. May I see these ten people for few minutes?"

The students scraped their chairs across the floor as they prepared to leave the Transfiguration classroom. The ten students McGonagall mentioned moved to the front of the classroom.

Professor McGonagall passed out a sheet of paper saying, "This sheet of paper bears all the information about the trip to Beauxbatons. School ends in two days, so we'll be starting on the next day. Please gather in my office at seven in the evening." "You may go," she added.

"Oh my god! This sounds even more exciting!" Kathy whispered to Alice.

"Yeah, dinner, a few lessons with them, Quidditch games and even a ball!" Alice said excitedly, trying to keep her voice in control as they were still in the classroom.

"Humph! Now all because of the two of you, I have to tag along for this stupid trip!" Lily retorted, though she was a little calmer by then.

"Whatever, Lily!" Kathy said loudly, now that they were out of the classroom. "You have to admit it's going to be a great trip!"

Lily refused to reply, though her expression softened as she skimmed through the itinerary.

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"James, how could you have pushed us into this mess?" Remus asked, exasperated, as he looked through the itinerary carefully. "We have to attend a ball. That means we have to ask someone." "Again," he added after some thought. "I still haven't forgotten the torture I went through last year just to ask Lucy to the Yule Ball."

Sirius sniggered, and at the same time, patted Remus sympathetically on the shoulder. "We remember too, Moony. You even-"

"There is no need for you to repeat it, Sirius. We all know," said Remus irritably. "I could have used this time to study!"

"Put studying aside for six days, Remus. Only-six-days!" Sirius told him, as if he were talking to a five-year-old. "Besides, there will be hot girls. You're sure you know that girl, aren't you Prongs?" Sirius asked doubtfully, turning towards James.

"Er, yeah, yeah, I know that girl. Her name is, er, Fanny. Yeah, it's Fanny," James said hurriedly.

Sirius looked at him thoughtfully, one of his eyebrows arched upwards, as if scrutinizing his reply. Then, apparently considering it to be trustworthy, he gave a little nod.

Rumble 

"Oh no! It's raining!" Sirius cried, running towards the window and tilting his head to look at the sky, which was a clear blue, lighted up by the sun's rays.

"Sirius, you dolt! It's summer!" said Remus as he walked up to where Sirius was standing and gave him a smack on the head.

"But there was thunder!" said James, also joining them. "Unless it was-"

"-Peter's stomach?" Sirius completed the sentence, turning towards Peter with an incredulous look on his face.

"Again?" James asked Peter, amused and shocked at the same time.

Peter gave a small nod. James, Sirius and Remus roared in laughter, with Peter joining in, and went to the kitchens with Peter to grab something to eat as well.

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There was much discussion among the students over the next two days. They had sent owls to their families to inform them of all the necessary details.

Even Lily had agreed to be more tolerant towards James, and James had been convinced by Remus not to irritate Lily and get on her nerves by staring at her every second of the day except for when she was in the girls' dorms. This would, professor McGonagall said, radiate a good image of Hogwarts.

So the ten students over the two days also got to know one another better. Lucy Patterson, a pretty Ravenclaw with blond hair and blue eyes and Annabelle Grundy, a Slytherin with light brown hair and eyes who was neither pretty nor ugly, got familiar with Lily, Alice and Kathy. Despite the fact that Annabelle was a Slytherin, she was friendly and somehow had all the traits not of a Slytherin.

Frank Longbottom, whom Alice long had a crush on, was a Hufflepuff with dirty blond hair and dark brown eyes, fitted in very well with the Marauders, especially since he played Quidditch as well.

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By 6.55 pm, everyone going for the trip had gathered outside professor McGonagall's office. Their trunks, with necessary items had been sent to Beauxbatons earlier.

"What do you think Beauxbatons is going to be like?" asked Alice breathlessly from the excitement that was making her stomach queasy.

"I don't know… Nice?" muttered Kathy, almost unable to speak from the excitement.

"Well, I once had this pen pal at Beauxbatons, who said there were magical fountains with rainbow-coloured water flowing out of them," Lily said, staring blankly ahead, possibly in reminiscence.

"Really?" Alice and Kathy exclaimed, grabbing Lily by the shoulders and excitedly shaking her.

"You never told us," squealed Alice, just as Kathy waggled her eyebrows. "Was it a guy?"

Lily was saved from further questions and having to answer the questions posed, by Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout, who were to accompany them on the trip.

"Please come into the office," McGonagall said, showing them into her office.

All the students shuffled into the office, looking around at the objects there in interest, while Professor Sprout picked up an old Transfiguration textbook, which was a portkey.

They all gathered around it holding a hand out and touching a finger to the textbook.

A jerk behind the navel and a rush of wind while their bodies bumped into each other's, and they landed. At Beauxbatons.

**Author's Note: Please please please review!!! I want to know if you want to read the story.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I definitely do not own Harry Potter and the wizarding world.**

**Author's Note: Sorry about the really late update! I was actually contemplating discontinuing this but I realised that I already had the third chapter written, so I've decided to post it. If you still like it, then I think I'll continue.**

Lily got up, dusting herself. Looking around her, she saw that she was in a garden with blooming flowers covering every inch of it. This was Beauxbatons. Her gaze moved up the magnificent castle that was radiating a silver glow in the pale moonlight. Decorations were hung, no doubt, to welcome the Hogwarts students and teachers. The lights inside the castle even illuminated the surrounding are.

Lily gasped in awe, turning to exchange an impressed look with Kathy, only to see her still gaping at the castle. Slightly amused, she shifted her gaze to Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout, who were engaged in a serious discussion. While waiting for further instructions from them, Lily turned back to the rest of the students, who were still staring at the Beauxbatons castle.

"Follow us, all of you," McGonagall's voice pierced the quiet atmosphere.

The students tore their gazes away from the castle and looked at her, as if they had just realised that she was there.

Professor McGonagall led them towards the huge doors of Beauxbatons. She made as if to tap the door with he wand, when they swung inwards to admit them all.

The teachers stepped inside the castle, while behind them, the students tentatively took a step forward, peering expectantly in front of them.

In the dim lights of the entrance, they saw the huge shadow of a woman moving towards them. She was moving so gracefully for a woman her size that they were quite surprised.

" 'ello 'Ogwarts!" exclaimed Madame Maxime throatily, glittering in her bright red dress. (Lily inwardly wondered who had been able to sell her that large a dress.)

"I 'ope you arrived safely. 'Ow are you finding Beauxbatons?" Madame Maxime asked with a wide smile on her face.

"Very nice," Professor McGonagall replied, reciprocating the gesture with a rare smile, while the Hogwarts students all smiled politely from behind her.

"We weel be 'aving dinner Let us proceed to the dining room. Pleez follow me."

Madame Maxime ushered them through a narrow passageway lit by torches.

"Hey, look!" Kathy whispered, nudging Lily and Alice.

"Wow!" Lily whispered back in awe, looking at the huge torch before them that was emitting a swirling blue mist that glowed.

They turned right into another corridor, and were greeted by the copper statue of a mermaid, which winked playfully at James and Sirius as they passed. Sirius, in turn, blew her a flying kiss.

They finally stopped at a door. Madame Maxime traced something on the door with her wand and they swung open again.

A sea of blue awaited them in the Dining Room. As they walked to the table allotted to them at the other end, the Beauxbatons students craned their necks to catch a glimpse of them. James and Sirius took mock bows, winking at a group of girls who burst into giggles. Lily, meanwhile, could feel the heat rising up her neck as she looked down, and promptly seated herself on the nearest chair she saw.

"Good evening to all of you," Madame Maxime's voice sounded. "I am pleezed to introduce ze 'Ogwarts students. Zey weel be joining us for a few days here, and I 'ope zat you weel cooperate wiz them."

Madame Maxime gave the indication for them to start their dinner and they tucked in. The clank of forks and spoons against the plates was soon drowned by incessant chatter.

"That was a little too much, don't you think?" asked Sirius, patting his belly.

The Hogwarts students, after dinner, had been ushered to a guest room that consisted of a common room and girls' and boys' dormitories. The teachers had another guest room just next to theirs.

"Yeah," Kathy replied, groaning in discomfort. "I should have just left the Bouillabaisse."

Annabelle suddenly sat up. "How about we explore Beauxbatons for a while? We still have time." She glanced at the clock. "Thirty-three minutes precisely."

"I'm definitely going with you!" Alice said, putting the book she had been reading aside.

The rest of them stood up in response to Annabelle's question and proceeded to the door.

Looking behind, Alice realised that Lily was still sitting on the couch with her head in her hands. Surprised, she asked, "Lily? Aren't you coming?"

"No, you carry on. I've got a headache," Lily muttered from behind her hands.

"It's ok, Lily. We'll stay and help you," Alice said, indicating Kathy and her.

Having insisted that they go on without her, Lily was alone in the common room in the same position they had left her.

Groaning, she rubbed her head, which felt like it was going to split. She felt like there were little invisible fists pounding her head from the inside. The throbbing headache was even disabling her ability to think rationally.

Suddenly, Lily heard a voice that sounded very distant to her.

Frowning in confusion, Lily slowly raised her head. _Hadn't they all gone?_

James hurried to the armchair in front of Lily. His voice concerned, he asked, "Lily, are you ok?"

Unable to think properly, all that escaped Lily's mouth was a groan.

Shifting himself closer to Lily, James continued, "I thought I should just come in and check on you."

Lily didn't show any signs of having heard him. She had her eyes closed. Mustering the little energy she had, she said, "I'll go to bed."

With that, she stood, pushing herself up. After taking a while to arrange her bearings she took a step, only to sway precariously.

**Author's Note: Well, that's the third chapter. But I hate the way the story is going and that Annabelle is such a goody-goody though she is in Slytherin. Maybe I'll have to make some changes to that. Sigh… Anyway, give me your feedback about how you think this is(even though I know it's horrible) and whether you would want me to continue.**


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